CVE-2025-68456 — craftcms/cms
Fix: craftcms/cms@f83d4e0CVE-2025-68456 is a CWE-202 vulnerability in craftcms/cms. A fix is available for craftcms/cms — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Unauthenticated Craft CMS users can trigger a database backup
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2025-68456.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
craftcms/cms🐘craftcms/cmsReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Packagist packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Unauthenticated users can trigger database backup operations the updater/backup action, potentially leading to resource exhaustion or information disclosure.
Users should update to the patched versions (5.8.21 and 4.16.17) to mitigate the issue.
Craft 3 users should update to the latest Craft 4 and 5 releases, which include the fixes.
References:
https://github.com/craftcms/cms/commit/f83d4e0c6b906743206b4747db4abf8164b8da39
https://github.com/craftcms/cms/blob/5.x/CHANGELOG.md#5821---2025-12-04
Affected Endpoints
POST /admin/actions/updater/backup(unauthenticated)
Vulnerability Details
Root Cause
All updater/* actions are explicitly configured with anonymous access:
// BaseUpdaterController.php
protected array|bool|int $allowAnonymous = self::ALLOW_ANONYMOUS_LIVE | self::ALLOW_ANONYMOUS_OFFLINE;
Attack Vector
- Send unauthenticated POST request to
/admin/actions/updater/backup - Database backup executes with configured
backupCommand
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐘Packagist | craftcms/cms | ≥ 5.0.0-RC1&&< 5.8.21 | 5.8.21composer require craftcms/cms:^5.8.21 |
| 🐘Packagist | craftcms/cms | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 4.16.17 | 4.16.17composer require craftcms/cms:^4.16.17 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for craftcms/cms, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update craftcms/cms to 5.8.21 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-68456 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2025-68456 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-68456. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2025-68456 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-68456 across Packagist dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.